


In Which Diana Yells at Gilbert an Episode Early

by jacksparrow589



Series: In Which Things Change [4]
Category: Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery, Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: Anne and Gil are together by the end and I'm not pretending otherwise, F/M, Fluffy Ending, Gen, Shirbert, a wee bit of Gilbert angst, mostly his guilty conscience, this is me we're talking about
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:54:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25103515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jacksparrow589/pseuds/jacksparrow589
Summary: Diana advanced on Gilbert. "You know, I thought maybe there was something we just didn't know about Winifred when you brought her to the fair. Maybe her family were new to town and just needed a guide. There had to be some explanation that wasn't you suddenly deciding—after years of staring at Anne like you'd like to marry her, I might add—that she wasn't worth your time." She felt a pang of satisfaction as Gilbert flinched, drawing in on himself. She hoped he felt as small as she felt tall right now. "And then to add insult to injury, you corner her when she's drunk at the Ruins and lay out all the reasons you should choose Winifred and ask Anne to decide for you because you can't decide yourself. What happened to you? You were the mature one that everyone in our class looked up to, and I know that can't have been easy, but there is no world in which it was in any way fair to put your choice on Anne!" Angry tears had started to roll down Diana's cheeks. "At the very least, it should have occurred to you that of course she'd give you up when you describe the alternative as everything you've dreamed of that she couldn't give you!"---------The title speaks for itself, folks
Relationships: Diana Barry & Gilbert Blythe, Gilbert Blythe/Anne Shirley, Marilla Cuthbert & Matthew Cuthbert & Anne Shirley
Series: In Which Things Change [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1672138
Comments: 30
Kudos: 169





	In Which Diana Yells at Gilbert an Episode Early

**Author's Note:**

> Not much to say here, except that this started as it usually does, with Rozmund and me complaining back and forth and harping on how episode nine was just every possible thing going impossibly wrong, and how Diana should have yelled at Gilbert. Thanks Roz; you're a gem. <3

As Gilbert left the parlor of the Barry house, Diana flattened herself against the wall.

Gilbert was proposing to Winifred? How could it have gotten to this point? Anne had explained to Diana what had transpired at the Ruins, but surely Gilbert wouldn't give up on Anne? She'd been willing to give him up—had he mistaken that for a rejection somehow?

The door closed behind Gilbert.

_No._

Diana darted out after him. " _Gilbert!_ "

Gilbert stopped and turned. "Diana, is everything—"

Diana resisted the not inconsiderable urge to slap him, instead choosing to channel her rage through the same three words Anne had used to start in on Billy Andrews. "How _dare_ you."

"I'm sorry?" Gilbert said incredulously.

He started to say more, but Diana advanced on him. "You know, I thought maybe there was something we just didn't know about Winifred when you brought her to the fair. Maybe her family were new to town and just needed a guide. There had to be _some_ explanation that wasn't you suddenly deciding—after years of staring at Anne like you'd like to marry _her_ , I might add—that she wasn't worth your time." She felt a pang of satisfaction as Gilbert flinched, drawing in on himself. She hoped he felt as small as she felt tall right now. "And then to add insult to injury, you corner her when she's drunk at the Ruins and lay out all the reasons you should choose Winifred and ask Anne to decide for you because you can't decide yourself. What _happened_ to you? You were the mature one that everyone in our class looked up to, and I know that can't have been easy, but there is no world in which it was in any way fair to put your choice on Anne!" Angry tears had started to roll down Diana's cheeks. "At the very least, it should have occurred to you that _of course_ she'd give you up when you describe the alternative as everything you've dreamed of that she couldn't give you!"

"I didn't mean it that way." Gilbert's expression said that his defense sounded weak even to him, true though it might be. "I didn't think she felt as strongly for me as I do for her."

Diana let out a harsh laugh. "I would believe you had it not been plain for everyone to see at dance practice. Do you want to know what Anne called you at the fair just before she saw you with Winifred? Her _destiny_. And it wasn't just her being fanciful; she meant it. Charlie's been trying to get her attention since harvest, and she could hardly make it more plain that she doesn't return his affections. She doesn't treat you the way she treats him. It might not be clear that she returns yours, but you never actually _asked_. You assumed that her reaction was a reflection of a lack of love rather than an abundance of it, even though I'm sure you'd give Anne up if it meant she got everything she wanted that wasn't you."

Gilbert's demeanor shifted immediately. The rest of Diana's speech had beaten him down, but he was not about to let her last assertion go unchallenged. "No. I wouldn't stop until she had what she wanted. I'd do everything I could to help her."

"And if the choice was between her dreams never coming true and giving her up?" Diana jutted her chin out, not willing to yield just yet.

Gilbert's eyes narrowed, and he sighed. "You've made your point, Diana."

"Good. So make your choice. And if that choice isn't Anne—" Diana wasn't sure how her threat was going to end, so it was almost a relief when Gilbert cut her off.

"It is."

Diana crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, hoping she was doing a good job of reminding Gilbert of Anne. "Then go make it right."

She was a little surprised and far and away more pleased to note that where Gilbert had initially been walking away from the Barry house looking as though he had the weight of the world on his shoulders, he was holding his head just a little higher now, his direction and purpose clear. And though she'd never tell him, she hoped it wouldn't be too little, too late.

* * *

It wasn't until Green Gables was in sight that Gilbert's anxiety came roaring back. He'd expected to at least feel less unsettled than he had that morning, so he was surprised when the intensity surpassed that level and showed almost no sign of stopping. It took him a moment to realize why: unlike this morning or the night at the Ruins, he knew _exactly_ what he stood to lose.

He somehow managed to make it to the porch without being hailed by Matthew or Jerry, and as luck would have it, Anne saw him before he could muster up the courage to knock.

Still, when she opened the door, he wasn't sure what to make of the wary expression on Anne's face. There had been a spark of hope, but as soon as she'd gotten a good look at him, her face had fallen.

_Then again, the last time I talked with her dressed like this…_

"I've just come from Diana's." It was the quickest way to at least tell her that what she was probably fearing wasn't the case. Anne's eyebrows knit in confusion: that clearly wasn't what she'd expected to hear. "I was speaking with her father about a business deal. They want to export some of our apples, and I wanted to get things in order before…" He took a deep breath. "Before I go to either Charlottetown or Toronto."

Anne blinked. "Not… to Paris?"

"No. I can't agree to—I can't… I'm not proposing to Winifred." Gilbert swallowed, but he refused to look away. "That night at the Ruins, I put my decision on you, and I did it in the worst way possible. I was scared and confused; I didn't know what the best course of action was, and I didn't think that you felt for me the way I do for you." He sighed. "I should have just told you."

Hope brightened Anne's features just a bit. "Tell me what, exactly?" she asked quietly.

It hadn't escaped Gilbert's notice that she'd shuffled just a half step closer. It was all Gilbert needed to drum up his courage. "That I love you."

Anne took a shuddering breath. "You… love me?"

Gilbert nodded. "I do. I don't have to attend the Sorbonne to get the education I need—I'm going to ask Miss Stacy to write Dr. Oak, or to see if there's a way for me to go to Redmond. I'm not going to Paris, and I'm not going to marry Winifred."

Anne winced just a little at the mention of Winifred. "Does she know?" Her voice had been quiet before, but now, it was a whisper.

"I'm telling her tomorrow." Gilbert shifted and clarified, "Even if… even if you need time to think, or if you can't forgive me for all of this. It's the right thing to do."

Anne looked like she was about to say something, but her gaze went over Gilbert's shoulder. "What…" She darted past him. "Aluk! Oqwatnuk!"

Gilbert spun around. He recognized the Mi'kmaq man he'd purchased his hockey stick from walking up the way to the house. He started after Anne, picking up the pace when it was clear that the man was injured. Matthew and Marilla hurried to them, as well, neither really giving Gilbert a second glance.

"What happened?!" Anne was asking.

"They took Ka'kwet. Stole her," Aluk answered, his breathing rough. Gilbert noticed that his arm was soaked with blood. "Our camp is moving to coastal grounds so our other children will be safe." He staggered forward a step, and Oqwatnuk steadied him. "We must find her. Can you help us?"

Anne shook her head a little. "I don't understand. Isn't Ka'kwet at school?"

"She escaped. Came…" Aluk nearly pitched over. Matthew grabbed the other man and managed to keep him upright, telling Anne to go to the house. Marilla looked as though it was the last thing she wanted, but just as Gilbert was about to insist, Marilla scuttled back inside, pulling Anne with her. Gilbert followed and, as Aluk got situated and Anne brought the honey, Gilbert offered, "I'd like to help. If there's anything that I can do. I know that you must be far more skilled—" He took a step toward Aluk, but Oqwatnuk stepped between them and shook her head. Gilbert stepped back, and Aluk translated as she spoke. 

"She does not want your help. She does not—" he broke off to confer with Oqwatnuk for a moment, looking wearier by the second. "I have told her that you are respectful. She remembers you, and she thanks you for your offer, but the men who attacked our camp…"

"They look like me." Gilbert gave a terse nod. "I understand. I'll wait outside."

He wasn't happy about it, but he'd learned from Dr. Ward that unnecessarily agitating a patient—or worse, anyone tending to them—tended to lead to poor outcomes. He went out to sit on the porch and wait. It wasn't terribly long before Anne came out to sit next to him.

"Well, Oqwatnuk treated Aluk as best she could." She knit her hands together nervously. "I'm sorry that you weren't allowed to stay."

Gilbert shrugged a shoulder. "I can't say I blame her for not wanting me there." He almost managed a smile. "Can I ask you for notes later?"

Anne let out something that wasn't quite a laugh. "It wasn't really any different than when Moody needed his stitches." She heaved a much more sorrowful sigh. "I'm going with Matthew and Aluk and Oqwatnuk to bring Ka'kwet home. The school—it wasn't… it wasn't anything like ours. The stories Ka'kwet told them…" Anne put her head in her hands. "It's not right." She looked back up at him. "I'll be gone tonight and all of tomorrow, but the day after that…"

"We'll need to talk," Gilbert finished flatly.

Anne nodded. "I need time to think," she admitted, "but I do know that—"

"Anne!" Marilla called. "I need you to help me pack a hamper!"

"Coming!" Anne replied over her shoulder before turning back to Gilbert. "Just… don't lose hope." She sprang to her feet and headed back inside. Gilbert watched her go before standing and setting off for home.

* * *

Two nights later, Anne and Gilbert once again sat on the porch of Green Gables. The look Marilla had given the door when Anne went to answer it indicated that this wasn't the first time Gilbert had been by that day. The thought had certainly gotten a smile out of Anne, and her smile, though shy, grew a little when Gilbert smiled hopefully back at her.

They sat in silence for a few moments, then Anne began to speak, her face falling. "We couldn't get Ka'kwet back. The priest who runs the school wasn't there… or they said he wasn't, but I thought I saw him in a window." Tears started filling her eyes. "They had Ka'kwet in some kind of cellar or something. I could hear her screaming, and when her parents asked for her to be let back to them, two men… with guns… her parents did nothing to cause anyone harm, but those men were ready to shoot them." Her voice was now choked with emotion, and tears streamed down her cheeks. "For a moment, I thought I was going to watch them die. It thought they would be killed for—for loving their daughter. And I couldn't do anything. Matthew couldn't do anything." She pulled a handkerchief out of her sleeve and, for a moment, let herself weep into it before wiping her eyes and straightening back up. "I'm going to write a letter and I'm going to send it to every paper I can. People need to know how these children are being treated. How they're being stolen from their families. It's not right."

"It isn't," agreed Gilbert. He thought for a moment, choosing his words carefully. "I don't want to… to get involved where it's not my place. You're the one who's seen it firsthand. But if you want a second pair of eyes, or a test audience—" his voice grew quieter "—and if you wouldn't mind that being me, I'd be happy to help."

"Thank you," Anne whispered, dabbing at her eyes once more, but almost smiling. "I think I'll be taking you up on that." She took a few breaths to steel herself before broaching the next topic. "I didn't have much time to think while everything was going on. But the other day, while you were at Diana's… I left you a note." Her gaze flickered away for a moment. "Nothing's changed since then, I know that much."

"What did the note say?" Gilbert asked gently, placing a hand over Anne's.

Anne swiveled to look at him curiously. "You didn't get it? Hazel saw me leave it…"

Gilbert shook his head. "No… but I haven't seen much of her recently. She and Bash have been fighting—never mind. I'll look for it later," he promised.

"You don't need to. I can tell you exactly what it said." Anne turned to meet his gaze fully before reciting, " _I'm sorry I was confused before. I'm not anymore. I love you._ " Despite Gilbert's grin being nothing but encouraging, she let out a short, embarrassed cough before continuing, " _P.S. May I please have my pen back?_ " At Gilbert's quiet chuckle, a blush finally crept onto her cheeks as she reminded him, "You asked!"

"I did, and I'm not unhappy to hear it. I'm relieved, honestly." Gilbert squeezed Anne's hand. "I owe you an apology for depriving you of your pen. Unfortunately, I don't have it with me." He frowned. "But more than that… I haven't yet apologized for the things I did. The things I didn't do—or say. Anne, I'm so sorry."

"I know," Anne assured him. She lifted their joined hands to pull Gilbert's arm around her shoulders, moving to sit so her side was flush against his, and rested her head on his shoulder. "It hasn't been an easy week. And I know there will always be _something_. I don't want this to be hanging over us with the possibility that we might not be able to see each other every day. If there are questions or concerns, I want to talk about them, and then I want to be done. I don't want there to be grudges."

"I can agree to that," Gilbert told her, "Though I can't say I feel any better about the whole situation."

Anne yawned. "I find that the best way to ease a guilty conscience is to find one small thing immediately that helps make up for the damage done."

"Well, in that case, I suppose I should ask you what I can do," Gilbert mused, brushing his thumb across Anne's.

With a lazy shrug, Anne told him, "I'd be happy if we could just stay like this a while longer." She yawned again. "I've been tired all day, but this is the calmest I've felt."

"Good thing I wasn't planning on moving," Gilbert murmured. Anne made a noise of vague acknowledgment, already drifting off.

By the time Matthew came in for the night fifteen minutes later, Anne was breathing the even, easy breath of sleep. Matthew merely raised his eyebrows in an expression of mild surprise (something that, if Gilbert had eyes in the back of his head, he would have seen Marilla do five minutes prior) before nodding and mumbling, "Well, good night, then," and going inside.

Gilbert nodded back and wished him a quiet good night, hoping the exchange hadn't disturbed Anne. She made a small noise and shifted a little to get more comfortable, and without really thinking, Gilbert turned and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. "You can sleep a little while longer if you want to," he offered.

Anne briefly nuzzled his cheek with the top of her head before sitting upright, and then standing. "I should get back inside. Thank you, though." She waited for him to stand before continuing completely sincerely, "I'm glad we talked. I don't know that I would have been able to bear it if we hadn't."

"I'll do my best to make sure you never have to bear it again," Gilbert promised, rewarded when Anne beamed at him, then took a step forward and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"G'night," she murmured.

"Good night." Gilbert hesitated for a moment before leaning down and very gently brushing his lips against Anne's, pulling back with a soft smile.

Though she was exhausted, Anne's own smile was radiant. She turned and went inside, and Gilbert turned to head home.

It wouldn't always be easy. There would be times where they would have to take it a day or an hour or even a minute at a time, but even then, both of them knew that they would always have each other.

**Author's Note:**

> Alternate title: In Which the Cuthberts Merely Raise an Eyebrow at Improperly Casual Affection
> 
> I am stupidly tired right now, having stayed up WAY too late to post this, so I've not much else to say here either other than the usual: The ending is predictably saccharine, I had fun, S3 was bonkers in general and the second half was absolute crazypants, I cherish my readers one and all, I love comments and respond to them (if you can't think of anything, leave your favorite tea/coffee/beverage of choice).


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